10.06.2013 04:30 PM

Gary McHale: crowd-sourcing a lawsuit (updated)

Gary McHale is suing me.

McHale, who you can read about here and here and here, is suing me because I wrote a Sun Media column describing him as “an Ontario anti-Native, anti-police activist who has spent time in jail for his misadventures.”  He is also suing because I asked him why he did not bar racist Paul Fromm and the neo-Nazi Northern Alliance from attending his rallies.

I am vigorously defending the action, which will culminate in a trial in Hamilton sometime in the next few months.  I will be posting details about the trial, so that those of you who wish to attend can do so.  I fully expect the far right to be in attendance, too, as they have done so in various other such lawsuits against me in the past.

I am also seeking contributions for costs of defending McHale’s lawsuit.  If you want to contribute, please click on the “donate” button to the left, under the blogroll.  It’s going to be expensive, because we plan to fight McHale every step of the way.  If you want to donate directly to my legal team, Ruby Shiller Chan Hasan, you can do so by contacting them here.

My web site’s readers are (I think) the smartest folks on the Internet.  They have helped expose all kinds of things in the past.  I’m asking  for their help with some additional research once again, about these points:

  • that McHale is anti-Native
  • that McHale is anti-police
  • that McHale has spent time in jail
  • that Paul Fromm showed up to express support
  • that the Northern Alliance showed up to show support

You can send whatever you find to me here, or in comments, below.

If you can help, in any way, I will be eternally grateful.  I intend to fight McHale for as long as it takes (in the Ian V. Macdonald case, the litigation went on for sixteen years, and all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada).  Every bit helps, as they say.

Thanks, guys.

UPDATE: McHale has tried to post a comment on this web site, saying that he “loved this post.”  Glad to hear it.  So, to the many folks who have already made generous donations – and/or who have sent along kind words – let’s keep at it!

40 Comments

  1. Kyle H says:

    Kick his ass, Warren. I may not agree with everything you say but you’re 100% right about McHale.

  2. grim says:

    Isn’t this an open and shut case, based on the precedent of your Ian Verner MacDonald experience? You allegedly slandered Gary McHale, the offending comments were posted here around Feb 9, 2013. ‘Gary McHale’ commented on the post, Feb 10, 2013. If you can prove that the poster was Mr. McHale.. that’s 227 days ago that he became aware of the alleged defamation, which is more than 6 weeks.

    Good luck anyway..

  3. Ridiculosity says:

    I was going to add my two cents, but decided a donation would speak a lot louder than any words could…

  4. Norman T. says:

    tis a very nasty lot you’re up against – I wish you every success. This does seem to speak to the very exploitable-by-terrorist/criminal libel laws that exist in Canada and the UK – e.g. Ehrenfeld and the whole funding Funding Evil incident which was a catalyst for “Rachel’s Law” and the SPEECH Act (111th Congress, by unanimous vote of both the House of Representatives). In that light, as a tactical consideration, have you ever thought of partnering with United States citizens who could post material that might be actionable in Canada/UK but protected in the United States? You have stated that linking to things in not problematic. It might be a way to reduce the heat on individuals like yourselves?

    documentation should be pretty easy:
    http://www.stormfront.org/forum/t442352/

    make sure you make screenshots, they might try to take this down …

  5. Norman T. says:

    “My plan is to make you guys look like a bunch of assholes,” McHale said, “and you’ve done a great job [of helping achieve that]. ”

    http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/11/17/christie-blatchford-arrested-for-making-the-police-look-bad/

  6. !o! says:

    Interestingly, if you search for the phrase in the imgur link here: http://imgur.com/n1iCGjP

    the ONLY link that shows up in the entire internet is stormfront: http://www.stormfront.org/forum/t351029/

    This suggest the public statement in electronic form that McHale attached his name to was intended only for posting to stormfront.

  7. Mark says:

    Well, I’m in, Warren. Modest means and all, but maybe I’ve paid for a few minutes of photocopying…good luck.

  8. davidray says:

    Warren.
    May I suggest you defend yourself with a judicious application of Kessel vs Scott. Start chopping at the ankles and work your way up.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp8JAY7oyuE

  9. Jeff says:

    Well if his name is on the Stormfront website then you’ve obviously got him dead to rights.

  10. Sandy says:

    Here is some of the court cases McHale has lost at the Ontario Court of Appeals and ordered to pay costs ( source: Government Court website)

    http://www.canlii.org/en/search/search.do?all=gary%20mchale&jId=on

  11. Sandy says:

    This statement by McHale to Haley Mick of the Globe and Mail is a sweeping piece of Hate Speech against all natives ” “Native people think that they are above all laws,” Mr. McHale said.” ……. clearly Anti-Native

    Here is the full article : ( there are lots of goodies in here including his wish to have non-natives break the law and get arrested (Incitement) —-> “Mr. McHale hopes the rally will surpass in arrests and attendance one that he co-organized in December, which attracted national media attention and hundreds of protesters, and ended with a London realtor and Mr. McHale in jail.”

    Here is the full article which gives Gary’s history of harassment, criminal history, religious fanatacism, hatred of authority and obsessive behaviour: (tons more out there)

    Polarizing figure takes on native protestersCaledonia fight becomes full-time for Christian with troubled background

    HAYLEY MICK

    When dawn breaks this morning, Gary McHale and his wife, Christine, will pull away from Richmond Hill in a beige sedan with two Canadian flags tucked in the trunk.Mr. McHale will head west at exactly the speed limit, to ensure that his archrivals, the Ontario Provincial Police, have no reason to stop him before he reaches the town of Caledonia.It is there, on land that has been occupied by Six Nations protesters for almost a year, that he hopes to raise his flag, get arrested along with his followers and prove what he thinks is a valid point.”Native people think that they are above all laws,” Mr. McHale said.Eight months ago, the 44-year-old had to scan a map to locate Caledonia, a town of 10,000 just south of Hamilton. Now the two-hour trip into southwestern Ontario is a familiar part of his mission to end the “two-tier justice” he says allows native occupiers to surf above the law.Mr. McHale, in turn, has risen to become one of the most polarizing figures in the conflict — a troublemaker to some, a hero to others — while many local Caledonians, police officers and politicians trying to resolve the conflict wish he would just go away.A heavy police presence will be there today to quash clashes that they fear will erupt between the Six Nations protesters and Mr. McHale’s followers.Mr. McHale hopes the rally will surpass in arrests and attendance one that he co-organized in December, which attracted national media attention and hundreds of protesters, and ended with a London realtor and Mr. McHale in jail. Neither man was charged.But since then, many people have wondered: Who is Mr. McHale and why, with no connections to the town or the land dispute, is he planning rallies that could shatter its fragile peace?In reality, long before he quit his job to become the creator of his website, CaledoniaWakeUpCall.com, he was no stranger to conflict, whether with his family, the law, or even fellow churchgoers.Gary McHale grew up the youngest of six brothers, playing in the creeks and farm fields of Violet, Ont., a village north of Kingston. Money was scarce — his mother worked at a seniors home and his father on various jobs — and the brothers grew up fast.At age 7, Mr. McHale was baking bread; the same year he stole 26 chocolate bars from a local store. “We were kind of wild as kids,” he said.His mother was killed in a highway accident when Mr. McHale was 10, and soon after the family moved to Kingston. “My father wasn’t really around, so we kind of raised ourselves,” he said.He says some of his brothers fell into crime, and city life didn’t suit him. He rejoined relatives in Violet when he was 13. Two years later, tensions he says he created drove him to live in St. Catharines with his oldest brother, Greg. By the time he graduated, he had attended six high schools.He was a shy teen — he once asked a teacher to give him a zero, just to avoid a public speaking assignment — but at Laura Secord Secondary School he met Christine, a petite, accomplished piano player who held his hand on their third date.By Grade 13, the pair were engaged and living in a two-bedroom apartment behind the Famous Players movie theatre, where they both worked. They married in Kingston when he was 19 and she was 20.Still, past hardship left him angry. “I would say primarily it was bitterness against my father . . . I guess it was against anyone in a position of authority,” he said.Greg McHale, 53, who lives in Oshawa, said the death of their mother probably affected his youngest brother most. “I think it was difficult for him.”Crime was a symptom of the anger, Gary said. “I was a professional shoplifter throughout my teens.” Anything from 30-pound turkeys to stereo systems were fair game, he says, until the law caught up in 1981 and he was convicted for theft under $200 in Kingston and Bellville.Then, at age 22, he followed several family members down a new path, and became a Christian.”I’m a different person. The anger was virtually gone instantaneously,” he said.His wife added: “You went from night to day. To me it was like, what happened to my husband and who is this man?”By the early 1990s, Mr. McHale was taking courses at Seminary College, north of Toronto, where he earned a reputation as an eager, curious and capable student — if a little overbearing in class.”Sometimes he expressed himself in ways that didn’t keep the dialogue going very well,” said Professor Stan Fowler, then the school dean and one of Mr. McHale’s theology professors.Mr. McHale met Michael Haykin, a history professor who was impressed with his eagerness for Christian pursuits. The pair collaborated on what was supposed to be a five-volume series on the “Vineyard” evangelical movement.They parted after two books, but Mr. Haykin said he never felt comfortable with the critical tone of the works. When one volume was re-released in 2005, he said, he toned down parts of the text.”Gary is a black-and-white guy. He’s all or nothing,” said Mr. Haykin, now a professor at Toronto Baptist Seminary. “He pushed me in terms of the way things are expressed.”Around this time, Mr. McHale and Christine were gaining popularity at Richmond Hill Baptist Church, where Mr. McHale was elected deacon and became friends with the pastor, Perry Edwards. That relationship soured after about a year — in large part because he had formed a Bible study group, Mr. McHale said.”Call it egos, call it pride, call it whatever you want, the pastor was upset that these meetings were getting bigger and bigger.”Others close to the church say Mr. McHale had divided the congregation and clashed with Mr. Edwards, who did not wish to answer questions about Mr. McHale. “I really don’t want to be involved in any way with Gary McHale,” he said. The McHales were eventually asked to leave the church.Soon, Mr. McHale found another passion: politics.In 2001, he was jailed overnight for jamming Richmond Hill MP Bryon Wilfert’s fax machine by sending the same 35-page document over and over again.[/u] Paul Martin’s Liberal government was often a target in letters he sent to Toronto newspapers. In February, 2006, he started a blog dedicated to turfing British Columbia MP David Emerson for quitting the Liberals to join the new Tory government.Then, in June of 2006, Mr. McHale turned on the television, and witnessed his “final straw.”He hadn’t thought much about native issues, he said, but was outraged to learn that two seniors and a cameraman had been attacked in Caledonia, with no arrests.He quit his home-based accounting business and devoted himself full-time to a website that now has over 11,000 pages. The site includes videos, news articles, and editorials written by Mr. McHale. “My website wouldn’t be needed if the media were doing their job,” he said.He says he puts in 16 hours a day on his computer. He and Christine live off donations from supporters that they say have amounted to $11,000 in the past eight months.As for today’s rally, he has ignored repeated public warnings by both Ontario’s minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, David Ramsay, and OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, who say that his tactics are counterproductive.”We know from past incidents that there is a potential for violence at these things. Tempers seem to be escalating,” OPP Sergeant Dave Rektor said.”It’s just sickening to think that someone would grandstand and use Caledonia as their venue.”Mr. McHale’s father, Leo also says he feels uneasy. “He’s going the wrong way about it. He’s not going to change anything by going up there and trying to cross ’em,” he said, adding that he sympathizes with some of his son’s opinions.Janie Jamieson, who has acted as a spokeswoman for the Six Nations protesters, dismisses Mr. McHale as an “exhibitionist” and says the occupiers will ignore the rally.”My perception of Gary McHale is someone who’s struggled with a sense of belonging and sort of needs recognition,” she said.Mr. McHale says he knows “powerful forces want to bring him down,” but that he won’t stop until he “changes the system.”At the end of a recent three-hour interview, he said that a Canadian Security Intelligence Service agent has interviewed him twice: once in his snug home office, and again over lunch at the Lone Star Texas Grill.”If I was the government, I’d be investigating me, too,” he said. “I mean, they don’t know who I am. I could be the most whacked-out nut going. I could be building bombs in here,” he said, indicating his condo.But, he says, he understands.”I’m a player in a game now, if I can call it that way.”

  12. Sandy says:

    Deseronto Mayor, Lions and Legion want McHale and group to stay away

    No room for inflammatory rhetoric

    Thursday, June 07, 2007

    Belleville Intelligencer

    Municipal and Canadian Legion officials in Deseronto have wisely headed off, for now, a potentially ugly confrontation between antagonists in the non-native community intent on stirring up passions over the Deseronto quarry occupation and Mohawks who insist the land is theirs.As reported in The Intelligencer this week, Mark Vandermaas, editor of the Voice of Canada Internet weblog, and others had planned to come to Deseronto to hold a public meeting about “the rule of law” and a “two-tiered justice system” that his organization claims allows violence to prevail in native land claim protests.But first the Deseronto Lions Hall, then the Royal Canadian Legion in the town denied them meeting space.”What’s really frightening is it’s shutting down free speech with people who have never committed a crime and never instigated hatred,” said Vandermaas, a London-based real estate broker who also compiled the Ipperwash Papers, a compilation he said represented an account of what residents experienced in the Ipperwash conflict.Vandermaas and Gary McHale, of Richmond Hill, owner of the website Caledonia Wake Up Call, were arrested in December for hanging Canadian flags across from the protest site in Caledonia. They have also been involved in lawsuits and countersuits with the Ontario Provincial Police, who they say have been ineffective in protecting the rights of non-natives. McHale’s website has also posted wanted posters with pictures of individual officers.Municipal official Brian Brooks, who books the Lions Hall, said none of Vandermaas’ and McHale’s past shenanigans influenced his decision.The hall, he said, is mainly used by community groups who already have arrangements through to the end of this month.Regardless, he said, it was clear the planned “public meeting” was likely aimed at drawing the spotlight on Deseronto for other reasons than public education.”I don’t believe it was an educational process. I think that they had further intent. But the grounds we turned them down on was that it’s a facility for community associations,” said Brooks.Mayor Clarence Zieman, too, was understandably reluctant to see his municipality play host to an anti-policing rally.Vandermaas and McHale are quite clearly on record as vocally and litigiously critical of the manner in which Ontario Provincial Police are handling native protests.”We’re trying to deal with this situation the best we can,” Zieman said.”From what I understand, the meeting would have been to berate what they call a two-tier system of policing. We’re quite happy with what the OPP are doing.”Zieman, Brooks and the Legion officials who told Vandermaas, essentially, to find another arena for his protest made the right decisions.As the experience has shown at Caledonia – where Vandermaas and McHale were arrested for their actions – tempers are hot on both sides of the native land claim issue.The climate in Deseronto, while tense, has not yet reached a fever pitch as it has, on occasion, in Caledonia.Municipal officials there would do well to keep a lid on such gathering, as best as they control them.Vandermaas, for his part, vows to perhaps hold a meeting in a park or other public area in Deseronto.Residents would do well, too, to take a pass on his rhetoric as it serves no purpose in helping resolve the situation over the Culbertson Land Tract negotiations or the occupation at the disputed quarry.

  13. Sandy says:

    Sunday, March 1, 2009

    Gualtieri Family shuns McHale and leaves Thankgiving Rally ’07

    Turtle Island News

    by Duane Rollins

    CALEDONIA–Joe Gualtieri and his three nieces walked away from a protest organized by Gary McHale and Mark Vandermass Monday, after several people involved began to challenge police authority.Gualtieri, whose brother Sam was injured when he was involved in an altercation with native youth on the Stirling Woods construction site last month, spoke at the rally. There, he called for a public inquiry into the handling of the “occupations” at Kanonhstaton (former DCE) and Stirling Woods. However, he stressed to the group of about 100 that his family would not support civil disobedience.Later, as protesters attempted to force their way through about 20 OPP officers that had set of a barricade at the corner of Stirling and Peeples streets, Gualtieri quietly slipped away.“Sam didn’t want to inflame the situation,” Gualtieri said. “He’d be upset by this.”“We told them at the rally that we would not support civil disobedience, so we are going to leave.”The group had marched from the Lions club in Caledonia towards the Stirling Woods site with the intent of hanging a Canadian flag from a utility pole. However, acting on the request of the developers, OPP would not allow the group access to the site.One woman, who would not give her name, expressed anger at the police action.“We weren’t looking for conflict,” she said. “If they had just let us do what we came to do we would have left already to eat our turkey.”About half of the group left the protest after it became clear that police would not allow them through. Those that remained became increasingly agitated.Several individuals threatened to break through the line and two protesters did. In one case a man carrying a Canadian flag returned behind the barricade on his own accord. In another case, a man of about 40 was arrested for obstruction. His name has not been released.Not everyone in Caledonia agreed with the actions of the protesters.Dan Roberts is a Caledonia resident who said he is a “proud Canadian that sees both sides of the issue.” He estimates that about 85 per cent of Caledonia is either opposed to McHale and Vandermass’ efforts, or don’t care one way or another.Roberts says that even among those that do support the “ideals” of the protesters, few support the approach they take.More people would vocalize their opposition to McHale and Vandermass if they did not fear being sued by the two men, Roberts said.“Both Caledonia and Six Nations people want to coexist peacefully,” Roberts said. “Whenever he comes he does nothing to help that. His protests are disruptive and serve no positive purpose.”Roberts said that if McHale wishes to protest, he should do so in Ottawa or at Queen’s Park.After it became clear that the police weren’t going to allow the protesters onto the Stirling Creek site, a new plan was made. The protesters decided to march to Kanonhstaton, where a Thanksgiving potluck dinner was taking place.Police quickly mobilized, setting up a makeshift barricade on Braemar Avenue and to the west of Kanonhstaton.Although there were about 100 people on the site for the potluck, there was little interaction between the protesters and those on the site.Eventually, a small Canadian flag was hung on a pole across the road from the Caledonia Baptist Church.A small group of about 10 protesters stayed on the roadside about 100 meters west of Kanonhstaton until about 7:30 p.m.

  14. Sandy says:

    Sunday, March 1, 2009

    Brantford Homebuilder tells McHale to stay off his property.

    (from Brantford Expositor)

    Homebuilder says activist unwelcome at construction site

    Posted By Michael-Allan Marion

    A city homebuilder is livid that activist Gary McHale brought his protests against native actions at housing developments to his stalled construction site on Grand River Avenue.McHale showed up with seven cohorts bearing Canadian flags and placards on Friday afternoon at the site of a townhouse development being undertaken by Mayberry Homes, owned by Mike Quattrociocchi.They protested for a while, then left.But when he learned of McHale’s action, he immediately got on the phone to local politicians and the media to angrily insist he told the activist beforehand not to come to Brantford.”I told him in no uncertain terms to stay away from my site,” the builder and former city councillor recounted in an interview.”I said, ‘I don’t need your help.'”Quattrociocchi said he had also e-mailed city police to inform them he didn’t want McHale on the property and made sure the unwanted activist knew that.”So what does he do? He shows up anyway,” Quattrociocchi said.”I want nothing to do with McHale. All he’s trying to do is continue his natives-against-non-natives thing. Nobody needs this. I don’t want to fight anyone. Fighting’s too easy.”

  15. Sandy says:

    Excerpt from link below basically where the OPP Association President is saying McHale and his followers promote hatred, flaunt the justice system and incite violence: ( lots more to post if needed …. I’ll stop for now)

    “OPPA President Karl Walsh released a strongly worded statement yesterday telling organizers to “exercise extreme caution” or be held accountable if there is any violence.

    “The people behind these protests are not from the area,” Walsh says. “They are, however, acting on a sustained basis to push an aggressive political agenda that includes promoting hatred, flaunting the justice system and inciting violence.”

    The flag rally is being organized for 11:30 a.m. by Gary and Christine McHale, of Richmond Hill, who the Mohawks dismiss as racist publicity-seekers”

    http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/01/19/3407481-sun.html

  16. Warren, when you win, does McHale have to pay the cost of your lawyer, he usually defends himself, which costs nothing? Seems Sandy has all the articles, that should seal the deal.

    • Warren says:

      Is up to the judge

    • Tiger says:

      It’d be more usual for McHale to be asked to pay Kinsella’s court costs, not his entire legal bill.

      But judges have been known to order payment of costs on a solicitor-client basis if they believe that the whole thing was a farce and an attempt to use the legal system as a club.

      We’ll see!

  17. Sandy says:

    Thursday, July 2, 2009
    McHale/Fleming just attention getting vigilantes?
    Craving attention

    Dunnville Chronicle

    So how much obligation does a newspaper have to provide coverage to someone who admittedly engages in acts simply to garner attention?
    This is the question facing Haldimand newspapers in the wake of last week’s dog and pony show in Cayuga.
    In the days leading up to last Tuesday evening, Doug Fleming was asking people to come to a meeting where he would form a militia aimed at removing trespassers from properties in Caledonia. Specifically he wanted to target Six Nations residents who have been embroiled in land occupations in the area.
    And then hours before the meeting Gary McHale distributed a press release saying, “At no time was Doug Fleming’s new group going to be called ‘Caledonia Militia’. It should be apparent to everyone that the word ‘militia’ was used to get media attention. It is unfortunate in Canada that media will not cover a story unless you use such a word…”
    In no uncertain terms he was saying the whole thing was a publicity stunt.
    McHale signed the release as media relations for the ‘Caledonia Peacekeepers’ , the new name of the
    In light of the confession McHale and the group have lost even more credibility. All along they have claimed they are only trying restore balance to a situation in which they perceive two-tier justice.
    Yes, newspapers will pay attention when someone comes along and uses a phrase like militia. One of its definitions is “military force.”
    In Canada the use of a private army is going to get you some attention. It sure doesn’t mean you’re going to get respect.
    Surely recruitment conducted for a responsible group of citizens who want, and need to band together for the common good wouldn’t need a publicity stunt to succeed.
    So it appears the goal wasn’t to actually form a peacekeeping gang but rather simply to provide an opportunity to step once again into the spotlight.
    We also have to wonder if the roughly125 protestors outside the meeting compared with the 30 or so inside gave McHale and Fleming a hint that maybe they’re not quite as popular as they think they are.
    We have a democratic system in place designed to represent us and to solve problems such as the myriad of land claims across the country. Indigenous peoples will be the first to tell you our system isn’t perfect but they wouldn’t be the only ones. Average Canadians are also frustrated at the lack of progress in this arena.
    But McHale ran in the last federal election. It appeared at the time he understood that in a democracy you can be elected to carry out the wishes of your constituents. But apparently, if you’re Gary McHale, losing just means you take matters into your own hands, democratic process be
    And no matter how you slice it, that makes him a vigilante -“One who advocates taking the law enforcement into one’s own hands.”
    And yes in Canada that means getting media attention but in this case McHale is under a spotlight revealing -through his own admission -less than admirable motives.
    There is no doubt that OPP have handled Six Nations residents differently than other citizens. They have little choice given directives from the Province in the wake of the Ipperwash inquiry.
    But there is one question that has never been answered and until McHale or his disciples address it they will continue to be viewed as publicity seeking agitators by most citizens.
    And the question is simple: Just how have your actions helped government negotiators reach a peaceful solution to land claims in Caledonia?

  18. Sandy says:

    Excerpt: “A man named Gary McHale has incited people to hold anti-Mohawk rallies on more than one occasion, has run for parliamentary office in the province, garnering not-insignificant support, and has simultaneously wooed both “respected officials” and been endorsed by the most dangerous of white supremacist organizations.”

    Link : http://www.vueweekly.com/front/story/issues_learning_from_the_present/

  19. Sandy says:

    (I isolated the relevant paragraph regarding McHale)

    Monday, March 2, 2009
    Toronto Sun Reporter’s opinion of McHale’s presence : raises tensions
    When citizens feel their voices are being ignored, they’re tempted to step beyond the law

    By MARIANNE MEED WARD

    I suspect there are more than a few non-native residents in the 905 who would like to occupy land because they disagree with what’s being built there. Many of them would claim a sense of community ownership, if not legal title, to said land. They don’t want their neighbourhoods destroyed by monster homes, big box stores and towering apartment buildings, where greenspace or single family homes once stood. But these residents don’t erect blockades, beat up developers or charge fees to do business on their “claimed” property, as some natives in Caledonia and Brantford have done to protest construction on land they say is theirs. Instead, the usual course of action is to call the local city councillor, voice concerns at city hall meetings, gather petitions and occasionally organize a symbolic march through town. They follow the established — and legal — protocols of protest. And quite often they lose. The Wal-Mart comes to town anyway. The condo development goes up next door. The highway through pastoral land is approved. Once-engaged citizens — the backbone of our democracy because they vote, they volunteer and they get involved — become disillusioned and occasionally bitter. “What’s the point in speaking out?” I’ve heard said more than a few times. Then these citizens look at what’s happening in Caledonia and Brantford. They begin to wonder whether they should have tried some of the tactics natives in those communities are using — tactics that may or may not be legal but are certainly effective — at least in the short term. Construction has stopped. Negotiations are underway. The feds have offered millions in compensation to settle land claims (so far rejected). New questions emerge: What’s the point of following the rules? Is there one law for natives, another for the rest of us who would surely land our butts in jail if we behaved the same way?

    Into this frustration come people like Gary McHale, a whale of a man with an appetite for rabble rousing to match. He proposes to stand up for residents against law-breaking natives, but more often than not he simply raises tensions rather than alternatives, something that got him banned from entering Caledonia. Most recently, he filed 33 private charges against eight people last week, including terrorism, mischief, intimidation and extortion. Interesting, given he himself was charged with counselling mischief. The only thing McHale has done is add fuel to an already raging fire, and helped entrench positions, rather than foster a willingness to negotiate. And that’s unfortunate, because we need cool heads, and a commitment to respectful debate. (But I’m not holding my breath, given how we “debate” abortion and other contentious matters – through name-calling rather than articulating thoughtful positions.)

    A neighbour of mine once gave me a postcard titled “How to Build Community.” Some of the tips: Mediate a conflict. Seek to understand. Learn from new and uncomfortable angles. How can we apply that to this situation? NO ACCOUNTABILITY First, let’s acknowledge the damage inflicted on natives, by trying to annihilate their culture, then by segregating them on often sub-standard remote land, and further by handing over billions of dollars to assuage our guilt without demanding some accountability or results. This harms natives most, but also undermines the confidence and good will of taxpayers. Second, let’s insist on good-faith negotiation, which means ending blockades and insisting all sides make reasonable attempts to come to a realistic settlement. Finally, let’s view the situation from an “uncomfortable angle,” namely, should we continue to support the reserve system at all? It’s a view worth debating. When will we have the moral courage to say this segregation should not continue? Our goal should be one standard for all Canadians. That doesn’t, by the way, mean assimilating unique cultures, be they racial, religious, political, or geographic. Rather, it means fostering difference within a shared responsibility to work for the good of the entire community. It’s time we started functioning as a community, instead of as islands of individual rights within a sea of discontent. Let’s give all our residents a voice — native and non — but try to find a tune we can all sing together.

  20. Sandy says:

    McHale’s Lawsuit Threat Letter to CHCH TV: (of course, always looking for a quick cash settlement as he has done with so many other news outlets in Hamilton, Brantford and Haldimand)

    I have suffered and will continue to suffer serious damage as a result of the libel. This is my formal notice of intent to commence an action under the Libel and Slander Act.I request that you submit immediately to me in draft, a clear and unqualified apology and retraction for Viewer’s Feedback to be posted on my website and for an on-air apology.Further, having regard to the gravity of the allegations made and the wide viewing of your network I am clearly entitled to substantial compensation as well as an apology. In addition to the draft apology I must ask you to submit your proposal as to a suggested compensation.If I do not receive a positive feedback regarding an apology and compensation by 5 pm Friday Nov. 30, 2007 then a legal action will be filed in court immediately against CHCH and ********

    Please have someone contact me before Friday 5 pm.

  21. Does anyone know what this character does to make a living, and pay his bills? Nobody has ever asked that question.

  22. Holy smokes. Is there a name for that occupation?

  23. Sandy says:

    (The CTV news link appears to be dead now but I’m sure it’s archived should you need it. So I’ve included the original link)

    Mayor of Haldimand And Minister of Aboriginal Affairs call McHale’s rallies dangerous and counter-productive

    OPP arrest Caledonia protest organizer McHale

    http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061216/caledonia_arrest_061216/20061216?hub=TopStories

    Updated Sat. Dec. 16 2006 11:34 PM ET

    CTV.ca News Staff

    Gary McHale, the Richmond Hill man who has organized demonstrations at the site of an ongoing aboriginal occupation in southwestern Ontario was arrested Saturday as he made his way to the disputed property.
    McHale was arrested along with Mark Vandermaas of London, by the Ontario Provincial Police as they approached the property waving Canadian flags. Police had warned McHale against attempting such a move.
    CTV’s Joel Bowey said the men intended to post the Canadian flag across the street from where aboriginal flags are currently flying.
    “The OPP set up a line just about a hundred yards away from that site and several people were able to cross that line. They got through a farmer’s field on far left side of where I’m standing here,” Bowey told CTV Newsnet.
    “We’re hearing that Mr. McHale got in the middle of the street and put a flag down there, and that’s when he and the other man from London, Ont. were arrested. So far all we know is that those two men have been arrested and there are no other arrests at this point.”
    Vandermaas was reportedly forced to the ground by police, and the flag was ripped out of his hands when he crossed the police line.
    The OPP said the men were arrested on charges of breaking the peace, which they noted is not a criminal offence, The Canadian Press reports.
    Bowey said the site was relatively peaceful, beyond some yelling and shoving that took place. About 100 people who had gathered for the rally dispersed after the men were arrested.
    The natives have occupied the housing development for 10 months, and have been negotiating with the province to end the dispute. They have vowed to remain on the land until it is returned to them.
    The demonstration was condemned by many who said it had the potential to reignite tensions between the native protesters, non-native community residents and police.
    “I’ve now said that Mr. McHale’s plans were counterproductive and potentially dangerous to what we’ve been trying to do there, and that is to reach a peaceful settlement,” said David Ramsay, Ontario’s minister responsible for aboriginal affairs.
    “I’ve twice now offered Mr. McHale the opportunity to protest at Queen’s Park. In fact, I said I would sponsor his rally and set up a platform and a microphone, a PA system for him.”
    McHale held an earlier rally in October that turned into a two-hour standoff after protesters tried to storm the disputed property.
    He appeared on CTV Newsnet Saturday morning before the planned Saturday demonstration.
    He alleged that police are discriminating by turning a blind eye to aboriginals who break the law at the site.
    “When a native commits a serious crime or any crime, they stand by and watch the crime take place and will not do anything to stop the crime. When a resident does the simplest thing, even putting up a Canadian flag or drinking a coffee in a lawn chair across some magic line, they will send in scores of officers to arrest the person,” he said.
    “We have to take a stand and say to police forces that there is one set of laws for all citizens.”
    McHale said he intends to continue drawing attention to the perceived inequity, and needs to demonstrate at the site of the occupation, not at Queen’s Park, in order to garner media attention.
    McHale, who lives more than 100 kilometres from Caledonia, said he has involved himself in the Caledonia dispute because people in the area are living in fear of intimidation and are not in a position to speak out.
    However, many in the area, including the mayor of Caledonia, have said his actions are counter-productive.

  24. Sandy says:

    Here’s a post from the White Supremecist website Stormfront where a member who was speaking about a meeting McHale and others wanting to form the Caledonia Militia held a meeting. Of interest is this person’s words ” WE booked the hall” ……. which possibly proves a direct connection and association with White Supremecists (below is the post and the link)

    Canuk_Rebel
    Forum Member

    Join Date: May 2007
    Posts: 2

    Default Re: Cops arrest citizen for displaying flag (Canada)

    I live 20 minutes from where all of this is going on. I have been a proud supporter of Gary McHale and Doug Flemming for the past 3 years. If you want the insider information let me know. I joined the Caledonia Militia because I believe it’s wrong what’s going on here.

    a couple of weeks ago I went to the information meeting for the Militia. Gary and Dough brought up some excellent points http://www.caledoniawakeupcall.com/

    These indians think they are above the law. at the meeting we were just talking and minding our own business while the indians and non native protesters were chanting, beating their war drums and refusing to listen to the police when told to go to the other side of the road and to leave us alone. There were about 100 native and non native protesters and maybe 40 of us white folks yet the police were treating us like we were the criminals …. we booked the hall … we were quiet and respectful … we were forced to vacate the property within 30 minutes of the meetings conclusion.

    I was wearing my Southern Cross tattoo loud and proud.

    Us white people have been tormented by these indians for 3 years. We get denied our right to free speech, we get denied the right to wave the Canadian Flag, we get arrested for walking down the street to hang up the Canadian Flag on Canada Day weekend, the OPP stand by while the indians beat up an elderly couple, We get robbed by indians and the OPP ignore it.

    The indians are running around DCE with guns, threatening municipal workers who were sent to cut off water and hydro to the site (i was one of those municipal workers), they block major roads in and out of Caledonia, they are currently threatening to make HWY#3 a toll road.

    Recently they built an illegal cigarette shack on an elderly white mans property against his will. By-Law officers are now threatening the white man to remove it or face fines/arrest … elderly white man tells indians to tear it down … indians threaten him … OPP are called in by the indian who claims he has a right to have the illegal smoke shack on the elderly mans property and that the white man is infact threatening him. So long story short the white man is about to be fined/arrested if the smoke shack isn’t removed.

    This situation is all ****ed up. I’ll post more as I know more.

    By the way I personally know the contractor that bought the land … funny how the indians didn’t start their terrorist acts at DCE until there were houses, water and electricity there.
    Canuk_Rebel is offline Reply With Quote

    http://www.stormfront.org/forum/t604501-4/#post7035900

  25. Sandy says:

    *** Very interesting ! Even folks from around the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia who had serious issues with natives still looked at McHale as a huge agitator and troublemaker and opportunist and wanted him gone.

    Monday, March 2, 2009

    Dave Brown sets the record straight about McHale

    From The Tekawennake Newspaper (Six Nations)

    Following Ontario Conservative leader John Tory’s media event at the Canadian Tire parking lot in Caledonia last Friday, Tekawennake received an invitation to meet with Dave Brown, who along with his life partner Dana Chatwell, are the owners of a home on Highway #6 adjacent to the Kanonhstaton reclamation site…….

    (Partial content of article below)

    ……Brown also says that he has been used by Gary McHale on occasion and that he does not like him at all, although he did vote for him in the last election.Thanksgiving of 2007 McHale conducted one of his infamous rallies in Caledonia, which ended up on Brown’s front lawn and sparked a shouting match with Natives over the fence. According to Brown, he did not invite McHale, Mark Vandermaas or Jeff Parkinson and actually had police remove McHale from his property.”If he told the media he was invited here, that is a complete lie,” says Brown. “As a matter of fact, I was with several friends out on the road and he started yipping at me because I went over and said, ‘What are you doing here. This flag flap is over. We’ve all gotten past that. Why are you trying to relive it? Are you trying to get credit for something we’ve done?'”According to Brown McHale didn’t like that, and told an OPP officer that if Brown got any closer to him, McHale wanted Brown arrested. “I didn’t care,” says Brown. “I wanted to break my foot off in his fat ass”. Brown says that Gary McHale has never been invited to his house.”That guy has never been in my home. Not once,” says Brown. “Why would I invite him? I like it when it’s quiet around here. They came over here and started that big uprising here.”Brown says that this past Thanksgiving he called and told McHale he was not welcome at his house. “I called Gary McHale and told him that if he came over here again this year, I’m going to kick his fat ass.”Brown says that he signed a document with the OPP that if McHale was on his property, they could arrest him. “Gary doesn’t know when to listen and when to shut up,” says Brown. “That makes him a fool.”So why did he vote for McHale? “If he was in Ottawa he’d have to keep his nose clean and do things more professionally,” Brown says, although he does not agree with McHale’s two-tier justice theme. “I don’t go to McHale’s things.”

  26. Sandy says:

    Warren:

    As far as the issue of Gary being anti-native, that’s a state of mind as you know and is hard to prove 100% . HOWEVER, I have found many instances where he has accused others of being “Pro-Native” as if that is something bad to be. So, using simple logic, he is in effect saying people should be the reverse ie: “anti-native” …. and any judge and jury would be able to connect those dots and conclude he is indeed “anti-native”. In civil law, all you need is preponderance of evidence to prove a point (I hope I spelled that right)

    It’s not a leap at all and I suspect your lawyers will agree.

    I’ll post some of those quotes from him and sources later tonight.

  27. Sandy says:

    Warren,

    Here’\s one example of Oct 8 2006 where Gary clearly used the phrase “Pro-Native” as if it was a bad thing to be, so, it’s clear that by him using this term, he must thing it’s better to be anti-native. That’s what any reasonable person can conclude Gary thinks in my opinion.

    I’ll post better examples as I find them

    Look at the 3rd line:

    http://www.caledoniawakeupcall.com/news/timmer.html

  28. Sandy says:

    Is this $38,000 McHales owes ? hmmm, worth investigating and if he owes, I have to ask how is it he is allowed to keep filing lawsuits like the courts are a sand box he gets to play in ?

    [1] It was agreed that McHale would pay costs in the amount of $10,000 to the moving parties, Fantino, Morley and Wilkinson.

    I fix the costs of the plaintiffs at $8,000 all inclusive, payable by the defendant, but in the circumstances, within 90 days.

    Source:

    http://canlii.ca/en/on/onsc/doc/2008/2008canlii43582/2008canlii43582.html

  29. I was wondering that too, if you owe costs to the court, how can someone keep filing lawsuits? Perhaps one courthouse doesn’t know what goes on in other courts.

  30. It’s been almost four months, when will this go to court? Is it small claims court? Thanks in advance Warren.

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